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Overall, applicants ranked the school in the top 24% of interviews, indicating it is highly regarded. They found the interview very impressive with a low stress level and felt they did well.
Higher scores indicate a smoother, more positive interview experience with professional staff, organized logistics, and a supportive environment.
Based on 393 responses
Score Reference:
9–10 Exceptional8–8.9 Very Good7–7.9 Good6–6.9 Mixed< 6 Needs Improvement
The SDN Interview Experience Score (SIES) is a composite metric that represents applicants overall impressions of their interview experience, based on multiple factors such as professionalism, facilities, responsiveness, and stress levels.
How do you rank the facilities?
Most respondents rank the facilities as above average.
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
Most respondents rank this school above all other schools.
How do you rank this school among other schools to which you've applied?
Most respondents rank this school above other schools they applied to.
0 = Below, 10 = Above
What is your ranking of this school's location?
Most respondents rate the school location as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was friendly.
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?
Most respondents rate the area’s cultural life as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was responsive.
💬 Interview Questions ▼
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools include inquiries about ethical dilemmas in medicine, personal motivations for pursuing a medical career, experiences in patient care, strengths and weaknesses, views on healthcare reform, and future goals in the field. Some respondents mentioned questions related to MMI format, nondisclosure agreements, and specific ethical scenarios like abortion and assisted suicide.
One interviewer asked ethical questions such as my feelings on abortion, the importance of teaching medical ethics courses in medical school, assisted suicide, etc
Students said most interesting question asked at Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine discussed a variety of topics including personal hobbies, hypothetical scenarios, ethical dilemmas, and reflections on experiences. The interviews seemed to cover a wide range of questions from personal interests to ethical considerations, with some respondents mentioning a conversational atmosphere and others noting the presence of ethical inquiries.
*If you took the time to use these interview feedbacks to help you prepare, take the time to fill one out for the next person. Don't be selfish.*
Question 3
I actually didn't get asked any really crazy questions, but one interviewer was very throrough and encouraged me to talk about experiences from high school as well as college.
For a given situation, you feel that the right course of action would be to prescribe riddalin (sp?) to a child; however, his parents are staunchly against the idea. What do you do?
Say you have someone on high blood pressure medicine and they come back a month later and nothing has changed, what do you think is the cause and what would you do?
At what point is a fetus technically considered a fetus? This question came after a long line of ethical questions, and I honestly didn't know the answer to this one. So I just told him that.
Students said the most difficult question asked at Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine discussed a wide range of topics including ethical scenarios, personal challenges, healthcare policy, and reasons for pursuing medicine over other healthcare professions. The interviews may have been in an MMI format, as many respondents mentioned non-disclosure or nondisclosure agreements, while questions on communication skills, personal experiences, and ethical dilemmas were common themes among applicants.
Tell me about a time that you could have done the wrong thing and gotten away with it, but did the right thing instead.
There wasn't any particular question that stood out as being difficult to me. My two interviewers made interviews more conversational than confrontational.
I was asked more than just the ''tell me about yourself question.'' I was asked about the status of healthcare, abortion, is healthcare a right or privelidge... then the standard strengths, weaknesses, why me.. etc... one guy, actually a student, grilled me pretty hard. The other was a teacher, and it was more just a conversation about me.
A patient scenario: Diagnose someone w/DM Type 2...7 years later, not a thing has changed. In fact, things are worse, the patient is resistant to any lifestyle modifications, doesn't care about the later sequelae of DM/if they die, etc. What do you do?
What is biggest challenge/most difficult thing you have ever faced and how did you deal with it? Both interviewers asked me some version of this question.
If you are an OB/GYN and the ultrasound reveals only a brainstem growing, but the fetus has no motor capabilities, would you give an abortion, even if the newborn could live for a brief time?
They got into some pretty detailed aspects of my research, like exactly how the mass spec read the peptides that I was looking for. I know a little, but definitely wasn't prepared for that specific of a question.
none were really difficult, one of the interviewers was extremely businesslike and talked WAY more than I did... hard to handle an interviewer that wants you to know about him more so than learn about you
Most respondents had an interview of 20 - 30 minutes.
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
How many people interviewed you?
Most respondents were interviewed by 3 people.
What was the stress level of the interview?
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
What was the style of the interview?
Most respondents had a one-on-one interview.
What type of interview was it?
Most respondents had an open file interview.
Was this interview in-person or virtual?
Most respondents had a virtual interview.
Data includes both pre- and post-COVID interviews.
Where did the interview take place?
Most respondents were interviewed at the school.
How did you prepare for the interview?
Many applicants prepared for the interview by practicing common questions, reviewing their applications, engaging in mock interviews, consulting resources like StudentDoctor.net, and researching healthcare topics. They also sought advice from current students, alumni, physicians, and used various online platforms to enhance their interview readiness.
I answered practice questions and read over all my application documents.
Re-read my primary application, re-read some other secondary application questions that I answered for other schools, practiced answering common medical school interview questions.
I talked with the associate dean of admissions, residents that work on my floor, other applicants who had just interviewed at the same school. I did a mini mock interview over the phone with admissions counselors at other schools that I knew personally. I did interview questions with friends and family to practice talking about myself. I slept well the night before, ironed my clothes and had a delicious breakfast to put me in a good mood. Also some meditation and deep breathing to stay calm and positive throughout the interview day.
Reviewed my AMCAS, familiarized myself with current healthcare talking points, read a bunch of stock interview questions and came up with answers for them
Went through SDN interview questions and made talking points about questions I thought were most relevant & looked up info on the school as well as healthcare reform & other issues in medicine
SDN, read my AMCAS application, read some ethick articles. Had half an hour before my first interview so I went and googled all three docs to find out about them.
Applicants were overwhelmingly impressed by the warm and welcoming atmosphere at MUSC, where they felt valued as individuals and part of a supportive community. They appreciated the conversational interview style, the friendliness of staff, the modern facilities like the simulation center, and the emphasis on student well-being and success.
The entire team was so nice, questions were encouraged and welcome.
New Flex Curriculum, they put the student first, friendly faculty and students, very impressive and modern simulation center, state-of-the-art telemedicine center, MUSC hospital always top in region, diverse range of specialties, Charleston is a great area
The interview was very laid back. I was expecting it to be intimidating and hard, but everyone was very nice and the interviews were more like conversations with a colleague rather than being interviewed.
MUSC involves their students and alumni in the interview process. My first interviewer was a practicing surgeon who had graduated from MUSC, and my third interviewer was a 4th year medical student. I think this shows how much MUSC values the opinions and judgement of their students and made me want to be a part of their school.
The admission people made me feel very very very welcome there, I loved the people there. Students who took me around campus were very down to earth, and left me their email addresses after the lunch session. School itself is well maintained, and the library reminds me of my college days studying for classes...
The school is great, Charleston is great..(no so much during the summer but still a nice place to spend the next 4 yrs). Adcom goes OUT OF THEIR WAY to keep you relaxed during the interview. They really want you there! Can't say anything bad.
Everybody is incredibly friendly. The simulation lab is pretty cool. The new curriculum seems good, though I'm a bit wary about getting into it as just the second class to try it out.
MUSC is changing to an integrated/block curriculum. Like that.
It seemed to be a really hectic day but everyone was very friendly and graceful, even considered to when I was here 2 years ago. The interviewers all spoke with a lot of candor. Low pressure interviews.
A fanstastically organized interview day with breakfast and lunch. A lot of information from many different people, all of whom were nice. A genuine crowd.
The faculty, interviewers, and students are all very enthusiastic about MUSC and seemed genuinely interested in helping me achieve my goals. Wanda in the admissions office has made all parts of the application process a little smoother!
The campus staff were all really cordial and everyone that notice that you were interviewing for medical school asked you how the day was going and wished you good luck!
That both interviewers mentioned MUSC works to keep you in the program and not to discourage you or anything of the sort. They want to help you become an MD.
Charleston was really fun, especially after Winston-Salem, Chapel Hill, and Pittsburgh. Everyone was really laid back, did not meet any pretentious people.
Most important: The interview day is very concise. Everything thing goes very smoothly. First school that did not have a mind-numbing, energy-sucking, droning financial aid discussion.
The campus is gorgeous. The old southern architecture of some of the buildings is amazing. Also, the fact that you can take summer gross anatomy before you start medical school is incredible. The campus will be completely wireless (90% now) by the time the 2006 class starts. The funding of research that the school has gotten in the past few years is very impressive. All in all, I was very impressed!
Everything... There is a beautiful little medical history library, the NIH money is increasing at one of the highest rates of any program, the students were really nice, the faculty seemed to really care about the students, the students are matched at the best residencies in the country, the faculty are from the best institutions in the country (lots of ex-Duke, Yale, Harvard profs), and Charleston is great: full of history, and right by the beach.
they have excellent facilities, the students love being there and love what they are doing, admissions staff is VERY friendly and welcoming, introduction was very thorough
Almost everything! This program isn't just thrown together like many of those out there. It's well organized and has great faculty, facilities, research, and financial support! The graduates go to top notch training programs. The gym is incredible also.
Very casual. The interviewer was trying to prepare me for the interview day at MUSC. He wanted to give me a good review. After the interview (which was short & consisted of the "normal" questions), he discussed how I interviwed & the areas which I needed to improve.
The block exams - an exam covers all three classes of the semester into one long exam (3-6 hrs). But you have the week off to prepare for the exam. Nice gym too.
I felt the facilities, faculty, and students were great. I was extremely impressed by MUSC. The availability of opportunities for learning are tremendous. The city of Charleston is incredible, too.
The people!! Of all my interviews, the people here were the friendliest. The interviews were more like conversations than inquisitions. The other thing that impressed me was the Neuroscience Institute. I've done research in neuroscience (and now I am working in the facilities at MUSC for the summer), and I was VERY impressed with the equipment and techniques they have available to them here.
The scale of the school & their communtiy involvement. They also change their curriculum to best fit the needs of the students. They also have an open policy on admissions- you can ask them what kind of improvements you need to make if you were not admitted.
Applicants were mainly unimpressed by lengthy orientation-style presentations, lack of unique school features highlighted during interviews, issues with interviewer preparation and lateness, ongoing construction causing confusion and parking problems, outdated facilities, lack of diversity, and high cost of living. Suggestions included more personalized and efficient interview experiences, improved campus navigation and facilities, and addressing issues with parking and construction.
A lot of orientation-style presentations. Overall the interview day is very long, with only 1 hour of actual interview time. All helpful information, just a lot of time.
Nothing was super unique about the school...all they covered was basics of the program/curriculum/school. Other schools stood out more to me because they told me about specific and personal things that were unique to their school and program.
The school doesn't offer any student housing, and although it is in a city, it is recommended that you have a car. They also recently transitioned to an organ-based curiculum this year, which is great, BUT it sounds like the professors haven't fully adapted and they are still working out the kinks.
The roads were very confusing due to construction and I got lost several times driving around Charleston...something that would resolve very quickly living there. I wasn't thrilled that our interviews were around campus, but they had people in place to help explain where to go or to walk you all the way to the interviewer's office.
Honestly, I had such a positive experience all around. If I were to be extremely nit picky, I would say I wish my interview schedule had allowed for a longer tour of the facilities and more time to talk with my 2nd year student tour guide.
Nothing in particular. Be prepared to walk for about 3 minutes to your interviewer's building if your one or both of your interview is in another building. (Girls often worry about whether wearing heels in going to be troublesome, but there wasn't that much walking in my opinion. Go for it ladies!)
The HEAT. It was extremely hot and my interviews required me to walk to different buildings on campus. So make sure you hit the bathroom to freshen up before you walk in for an interview if you've been walking around.
If you reside in Columbia or Greenville they ask that you do one interview with a local MUSC alumnus before the big interview at MUSC. My experience with the local doctor was alot different because he was very busy with patients and did not seem excited at all to have to interview me. I was almost a burden to him.
Both interviewers asked a lot of ethical questions and really pressed me on them. Although I was able to respond, I don't feel as if this was in any way a gauge of how I would do in medical school.
There was a lot of construction going on while I was there, which is good because it means that the area is growing and prospering, but it made the campus fairly ugly.
Be prepared to walk! There didn't seem to be many places on campus for med students to study. Too much construction- it took away from Charleston's natural beauty and made driving difficult.
Many applicants wished they had known ahead of time about the varied interview formats and interviewers, the relaxed atmosphere, the need for comfortable shoes due to extensive campus walking, and the blind or closed-file nature of some interviews. They also mentioned the importance of being themselves, staying calm, and enjoying the application process.
That the interviews are actually half-closed. They have your personal statement, AMCAS, coursework (with no grades) and letters. GPA, grades and MCAT are omitted.
Some interviewers will drill you a bit more than others. I had one super conversational interview, and one that I was literally sweating through. I also did not know there was a third, outside interview until I received the email with my assignment a few days before.
The interviewers were all extremely different - one was a very senior faculty member, one an attending physician, and one a first year resident. Each required a slightly different demeanor/interviewing style.
That it was not going to be as intimidating as I thought it would be and that once you get an interview, they are really advocating for you to be a good candidate.
I wish I had known that my first interview with the "outside physician" was going to be a blind interview. (He knew nothing about me other than I had earned an interview invitation.) He did tell me right at the beginning of the interview, but I think I would have come into the interview with a slightly different approach.
I wish I could have learned to enjoyed the journey of application to interview to acceptance. It is a stressful process, learning to deal with stress and cope with anxiety is an essential life skill. Looking back, I can now laugh at my own silliness in worry too much about things I can't control.
What the initial introduction and speech was going to be about and that interviews would take place all around campus, not just in one central location.
Even though they say the interviews are 1 hour each, they're not. It's just a max. Two interviews lasted for 30 mins...the last guy lasted for 10 minutes! I was a bit disappointed, but I guess he'd seen enough because I was accepted.
This place is for real. I expected it to be on the level of some Caribbean med school, but it proved that it should be in with the ivy league names. Also, that I would never need to rent a car in Charleston. I was going to until I realized that everything of importance is in a 5 square mile area.
There is one interviewer who is fond of walking his interviewee around the hospital, and to the gross lab. I stuck my hand in a cadaver's abdomen during the interview. . .wierd.
Applicants generally found the interview experience at MUSC to be thorough and personalized, with interviewers showing a genuine interest in getting to know them beyond their application. They appreciated the friendly and welcoming atmosphere, the conversational nature of the interviews, and the emphasis on being oneself during the process.
Know your application. All my interviewers seemed to know every single thing about me, and asked me hyper specific questions about what was on my application.
My interview was very rushed by my interviewer. He went into the interview having not read any of my file and spent the whole time reading my application aloud to himself while I sat there.
I was accepted. My recommendation is to be as genuine as possible in your answers--they are excellent at knowing when your answers are scripted/over-practiced. Brainstorm ideas but avoid practicing your actual answers unless you really struggle with interviews.
MUSC seems like a great school in a great city! Charleston itself is absolutely lovely and has so much to offer. MUSC is in the downtown area and is easily accessible. The campus is combined with the hospital campus, so it is easy to go from classes to clinicals and the library. Though there are many historical buildings, it seems like they are also working to renovate the campus. Overall it seems like a great school!
I really liked the school. It is so well integrated with the surrounding hospitals, you'll really get the clinical feel from year 1. Very intriguing accelerated 3-year curriculum. MUSC is a known name in healthcare across the region and it is very highly ranked nationally.
I really like MUSC. I was afraid I wasn't going to, but it was a really nice school. I really like the fact that there are so many different colleges within the university, and we are able to interact with the other colleges from the get go. Everyone there is VERY nice and truly love the school.
I received an acceptance letter and have decided to attend MUSC. If my medical school experience is anything like the admissions process, I am sure I've found the right place.
Overall, I really enjoyed the interview day experience at MUSC. Food was provided, although it was at most nibbled by a few students. Lunch was good, and the staff were friendly and extremely helpful in calming interview day nerves of all applicants.
I was extremely nervous before I got to the interview! This school is my #1 choice. When I got there everyone on the adcom made it clear that they want everyone to relax and just shine! One of the physicians that spoke to us even mentioned that if we felt that our interview was unfair or you blew one out of the 3 ..let the staff know and they may schedule you another interview! Not saying to blow it...but if you pass out it sounds like they would give you a second chance.. I have not seen one school to possibly even consider that...
MUSC is a great school and the interview day was fantastic. The interviewers simply wanted to know who I am outside of my application rather than grilling me with really hard questions. Each one of them were very friendly and personable.
I had one interview with a community doctor prior to the school interview day, because I live locally. My first interview at the school was a bit more formal, and my second was mostly conversational. MUSC goes out of their way not to choose interviewers who grill you about academics, or are too challenging, which is nice. Overall a very laid back interview day.
Be yourself...I don't have stellar stats, but I did have great summer programs, ecs, volunteering, ect...so, if you got an interview, don't blow it. They clearly saw something in you. So it could make you or break you. They're interested in the whole student.
Very relaxed. These people really want to win you over so they are very nice and welcoming (even the receptionists and other staff that you see). I'm in love with this school!
MUSC is a very special place. It was my 8th interview and it showed up every school up to that point. Culturally sound, happy student population, wonderful city, nice faculty, friendly staff. Newer buildings. ON and on and on I liked it.
The third interview was off campus. It was done the day before my on campus interviews and lasted approxiametly 45 minutes. The interview was very enthusiastic and seem to go well.
A great day. Everyone is friendly and positive. My first interview was slightly tougher than the second one but the whole day was very relaxed. The students and faculty seem really happy to be at MUSC.
Incredible. One of my interviewers gave me less of an interview and more of a brainstorming session on how to get me in. I didn't have a single ethical question or patient scenario. It was surreal. I came away feeling very much like they want me there, even if I don't make it in. Fantastic school.
I had a good experience. I applied last year, and my experience was good then too. I was pretty much just asked to tell them about me. They weren't out to get you by any means. My 2nd interview this year with a student was a little more grilling, but they were questions you should have answers to in the back of your mind ''just in case.'' Nothing stumped me though.
This was my first med school interview experience, and it was a lot less stressful than I thought it would be. The staff/students were all very friendly and emphasized the cooperative nature of MUSC. You basically start with an info session in the morning, and then you break off for your interviews. After regrouping, you go on a tour with a student (M2) and then have lunch.
Starts around 8:30 or so with introductions, speeches, etc. Then interviews last about 30-45 each and your first interviewer will escort you to your second interview. After interviews we had a tour of the school and facilities followed by lunch.
Starts at 8:30 with coffee and snacks. Presentations by some faculty an interview. Tour around campus and lunch. Then a second interview in the afternoon.
Not terribly nerve-wracking. I had an outside interview w/an alumni (who knew nothing about me and told me his purpose was just to get to know me as a person and to find out if he could see me as a future colleague) before my interview day at MUSC. out of the 3 interviews: 1 conversational and the others more structured. 1 had lots of patient scenarios. everyone is very kind and calming
This was one of the most laid back interview experience I have ever had and the school did everything to impress you. Make sure you can talk about your research and knowing a little about their research helps but wasn't as important as about you.
I had a wonderful experience, we met in a conference room at 8:30 and introduced ourselves ( about 13 of us). The director opened the orientation saying '' We want you to leave today feeling like you had a wonderful experience, we are not here to intimidate you in any way, if you feel like an interviewer was unfair let us know and we'll schedule you another one.'' The admissions staff gave a short orientation and we went to our first interviews. at 12:00 we split into groups and went on a tour with 2nd year students and ate lunch with them at 1:00. I had two more interviews and finished at about 4:15.
The day starts early at 8:30a with a few speakers discussing everything from housing, financial aid, the interview/admission process, and student activities. Interviews were scheduled throughout the day with a break for a tour and lunch with a student. My first interview lasted almost an hour and was great. The physician was very positive and left me feeling confident. The second one drilled me, so I'm not too sure how it ended up.
The day goes by very quickly. A few people come and talk to you while you load up on coffee and then you go straight into your interviews with lunch and a small tour in between.
Tough interview from admin committee member, easy from retired md/phd and fellow in hem/oncology. The lunch was nice and the facilities were top notch.
It was a great time. All of the interviewers and the students were very nice, and the faculty were amazing. One of them even took his Saturday afternoon to show me around one of the research facilities. Charleston is a nice, compact town with tons of history and a quaint Southern touch.
Charleston is a great place & the interview day at MUSC is really low key. There were two or three interviews so the day is really long, but it is definitely worth it. nothing really to worry about.
The entire admissions staff is genuinely very enthusiastic happy you are there. There was a long, but very informative, introduction and then we all left for our morning interviews. We later all met back up and split up into smaller groups for student-led tours around campus. Finally, we had lunch and people either left or had their afternoon interviews.
overall it was a good experience...faculty, staff, and students seem to like their school and enjoy living in Charleston...the interview is very laid back...more about trying to find out about you.
This was a preliminary interview with a local physician. I was very impressed with her career and was intimidated at first. However, she went out of her way to make sure I felt at ease and the interview was more of a conversation to get to know me as a person.
It was a great interview day! All the faculty were easy to talk with, and the interviews were more conversational than direct questions and answers. They really wanted to know about you and your interests. Of the 7 interviews, only one was somewhat stressful, and I think that interviewer was just tired from seeing applicants all day. Several of the interviews aren't used for evaluation, but they function as recruiting sessions.
Overall, I enjoyed the day and was extremely impressed. This place may not be on the tip of everyone's tongue yet, but it will be soon.
Each interviewer had a different prospective on medical school as a whole. The surgery intern offered recent, learned advice, the psych. prof. offered advice on patient interaction skills, and the head of graduate studies offered research/Match advice during the course of the interviews. All were very friendly and open to questions.
I applied to the University of South Carolina and the Medical University of South Carolina the year before. I was not accepted to either school. However, I, like every other rejected applicant was able to speak with the Chairman of the admissions committee at MUSC. He advised me how to improve my application.
The admissions personal including the students and faculty at USC were rude and aloof. The campus is small, old, and dirty.
I decided to apply for early decision at MUSC. I was accepted. It is a great place!
I had 3 interviews in the morning, lunch with MSTP students, then 3 more interviews, and an informal interview with the director. The first 3 (one with a student, 2 with faculty) evaluated me. Then the next two were for recruitment purposes. The last interviews were with the associate and program directors who evaluated me. They were very casual, conversational interviews. Most of the time the interviewer spent more time talking about their research and what they thought of Charleston. I really loved this experience; my first interview experience was an enjoyable one.
Good experience. I had an atypical experience since I wasnt asked typical interview questions. One interviewer asked me no more than 2 questions before going on a tangent about his frustrations with today's healthcare policy. Know that all three interviews (1 regional, 2 on-campus) are weighted equally. But other students I spoke with had typical questions that are on this website.
I thoroughly enjoyed the interview experience at MUSC. This is an excellent school and could very easily see myself spending four years here. My first interview was before the interview day at MUSC, was off-campus, and closed-file. My second and third interview were both at MUSC. The second interview was open file and the third was closed.
My interview experience at MUSC was terrific. All 3 interviews were very conversational based and laid back. The doctors made it a point to put you at ease and basically just get to know you as a person. Most of my questions stemmed from the flow of the conversation. However, some applicant's interviews were 100% ethical Q's. There was a lot of down time so bring the newspaper, magazine, or something for you to do. The ad com is very pro-active with the admissions process. They do not want to deny anyone at that point. The whole admissions process is based on a points system, it is set up so that you can only gain points, not lose them. They just reduced the weight of the interviews from 50% to 25%. Overall, it was an enjoyable day.
Charleston is nice, the program is nice. I get the feeling that faculty come here to retire and lead a slower life. They were trained at the best places. . .
I thought it was wonderful. I even told the director of the program that I was expecting my interviewers to be more hostile, but instead they were kind and attentive. However, it is exhausting to have six interviews in one day, and even though they were not very stressful my head was pounding by 5pm. The dinner, which the MSTP office arranges for you to have with three other MSTP students at a local Restaurant is the best part, the food is AMAZING and a glass of wine is the best cure for the post interview headache (and this is from a future (hopefully) doctor).
Overall, I think the experience was very positive. The staff was wonderful and helpful. I felt very comfortable with one interviewer, we had a good two-sided conversation for 30 minutes. My second interview was more intimidating, but I think he was trying to test my reaction, really. It was more stressful since the second person asked ethical questions, one right after the other.
it was a great process and i really felt like i got a good perspective of the school. the student tour took us all over campus and we even got to go into the cadaver lab. i interviewed with three people for an hour each (one e.r. administrator, one ob/gyn, and one third year student), then we ate lunch with some students, then we got a great tour.
This interview was known as the MUSC "off-campus" interview. Candidates meet with a physician who is affiliated with the university a couple of weeks before the big on-campus interview day. It was so nice to have a cup of coffee with this doctor, it was a pleasure and I could tell he will endorse me when he speaks with the adcom.
This was the best interview experience I had. I had a total of 10 interviews, with 9 of them occurring over 2 days on campus. The last interview was done by a doctor in a rural setting the following week. The interviews were generally very relaxed and most of the people I dealt with were very nice and did everything they could to make the experience pleasant. I had lunch and dinner with some of the MD/PhD students and lunch and a tour with MD students. I was surprised that one of the M.D. students doing the tour and one of the MD/PHD students I had lunch with were my lab partners in chemistry 5 years ago. One of my interviewers was in the same graduate program as me many many years ago and knew some of the older professors that I had worked with there (now I'm working in her lab for the summer). It's a small world.
This school in great! The interviewers wanted to know who you are & what you are like. They have a conversation with you- very relaxed. The only problem is that you have an interview after lunch & by this time you are tired & can't remember if you mentioned something to that interviewer or if it was one of the other 2 from that morning.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Most applicants suggest shortening the interview day, providing more opportunities to interact with current students, and ensuring interviewers focus on getting to know the candidate rather than challenging them. Additionally, applicants appreciate the welcoming and helpful staff but suggest reducing the time between individual interviews.
I had a very positive experience throughout the admissions process with MUSC. The associate dean of admissions is very accessible and helpful at every point. She and her team provide clear information and communication and will go the extra mile to help you be the best candidate possible.
I enjoyed speaking with current students at the school, and wished that I could have spent more time with students walking on campus and learn more about MUSC on the day of my interview.
I really felt like my interviewers were trying to trip me up. It did not feel like an opportunity for them to learn more about me. Instead I constantly felt like the interviewers were trying to challenge my worthiness to becoming a physician. And why are non-MDs interviewing candidates for medical school. It makes for a very awkward conversation about why you want to go to medical school instead of get a PhD!
